A Day's Walking in North Wales

The Conwy estuary, Exploration of 

Great Orme & descent into Llandudno

10.5 miles 1650ft

Aftera very early start from home I parked up at  Deganwy on the Conwy estuary....

....and set off  following the path which now is part of....

....the Wales coast path with....

.....the Great Orme headland in front of me

Looking across the estuary to Conwy mountain catching the early sun. (I must come back sometime and climb the length of that ridge!)

Starting the climb up Great Orme....

Looking back up the estuary where I'd come from

 The summit has a pub and is the start of both the tramway and cable car means of ascent and descent

The summit trig point at 679ft

There's also a view finder (with the cable car stanchions behind).....

....and a large cross has been laid out with rocks 

Looking down the hillside with the tram lines in the foreground....

....one of the trams being prepared for the start of the season

Ahhh...

Now on the east side with Llandudno below....

....and again

Zooming in on the promenade....

....and the end of the pier

I passed the top of the dry snow slope and bobsleigh run above Happy Valley....

....and little later passed the bottom aswell

Part of the Happy Valley gardens....

....which lead down to the promenade....

....and the long pier....

....and Grand Hotel

Finally a stroll along the promenade before making my way back through the town to Deganwy.

It had been a very early start from home to avoid M6 an M56 traffic but it proved to be well worth the effort. This was a wonderful day's walk with lots of interest and great views. I'll be back!!!!

Thelkeld Knotts, Clough Head & Calfhow Pike from the Vale of St John. Return via the the Old Coach Road

8.5miles 2500ft

High Rigg in the Vale of St John as I set off for Threlkeld Knotts

I passed above Spion Kop quarry.....

....with views also across the vale

My original plan was to climb Clough Head via the Fisher Wife Rake path, however when I saw the steepness of the route seen here in the centre top I change my plans and headed for Threlkeld Knotts instead!!

Arriving at Threlkeld Knotts summit cairn just as the sun came over Clough Head

Looking north as I continued over the Knotts

Looking down on Wanthwaite where I had parked the car

Looking down into the Vale of St John from the ridge to Clough Head

Arriving at Clough Head summit cairn & shelter 2328ft

Blencathra from the summit

Looking down to Thirlmere as I continued to Calf How Pike

Looking back to Clough Head from Calf How Pike....

....and looking west to the Newland & Coledale fells on the horizon....

....and down to Thirlmere again

The southern horizon....

....before stopping for lunch as I descended to....

....the Old Coach Road where the hounds which I seen several times on the descent were following the quadbike back  to their kennels

The Old Coach Road afforded good views to Blencathra....

....and the Skiddaw fells ahead

Zooming in on Skiddaw again before....

....the last few hundred yards of the road back to the car

Another great day's walking in the wonderful Lakeland fells. It had not been quite the route of my original plan but non the worse for that.

Upper Wharfedale 

A circuit from Kilnsey including 

Malham Moor summit, Grassington, 

the river Wharfe & Conistone

11.5miles 1700ft

Setting off from the bridge over the river Wharfe between  Conistone & Kilnsey

The distictive Kilnsey Crag dominates the scene in this part of the Dale....

.....and again

Mastiles lane, an old drovers road to Malham leads past the Kilnsey trout farm....

....and climbs above Kilnsey village.... 

....and up onto the moor

Looking back across the dale to Conistone village

....before arriving at the top of Malham moor 1388ft unfortunately low cloud left no view from here today!

Leaving the summit behind I began the descent back into the dale....

.... passing this attractive hamlet on the way to....

....the river Wharfe again at Grassington

I had lunch sat by the river with a view to Cracoe fell...

....before entering the village of Grassington

The village is very popular with visitors

Leaving the village behind I joined 'The Dales Way' long distance path which links Silsden to Bowness on Windermere

I continued on the Dales Way until....

Kilnsey crag came into view again and descended to....

Conistone village....

.....and back to my car on the bridge

After a grey start to the day the weather improved and this was a lovely walk. It's not often I drive east to the Dales but I'm always rewarded with a great day's walking when I do!!